Visit Heritage Blog (History and Heritage) - Visit Heritage

St Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and his saint’s day falls on 30^th November every year. If you’re planning on celebrating this year, here is everything you need to know about St Andrew.

With the weather getting colder, there’s nothing nicer than snuggling up with a book or two and a mug of hot chocolate. If you’re looking for some recommendations, here are a selection of great historical fictions to read this winter.

Though fireworks existed long before the date we remember as Bonfire Night, we didn’t celebrate it until after 1605 when an assassination attempt on the king was foiled.

Halloween is almost upon us so as it is the season to be spooky, here are some of the creepiest places across the UK for you to visit – if you dare… From grizzly stories of murder and execution to witches and all manner of terrifying tales, the UK is a haven for horror lovers, so if trick or treating is your passion, delve into these locations.

A powerful exhibition about Black freedom fighters and a celebration of His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I receiving the Freedom of the city of Bath in 1954, are just two activities in a programme of events taking place in Bath and North East Somerset during October’s Black History Month.

England’s capital is one of the most historically interesting places in the UK – from the Victorian slums and terror of Jack the Ripper to the culture of the West End, there is plenty to learn about this fascinating city and hopefully with these facts, you can learn something new!

One thing we Brits do better than anyone else is castles, there are a whole host of incredible castles, some fully intact, some in ruins but all with amazing stories hidden behind those walls.

As 19^th September is Talk Like a Pirate Day, we thought we would talk a little about Britain’s history of piracy and introduce you to some of the nation’s most infamous and feared pirates.

England’s biggest festival of history and heritage is back this September from 8^th – 17^th September, with the theme of Creativity Unwrapped.

While it is probably best known for being the birthplace of The Beatles, there’s a lot more to Liverpool’s history. It has a wealth of maritime history, is a centre of world trade and has long been a hive of culture and heritage.

This quote from the Hindu text Bhagavad-Gita is now more likely to be associated with J Robert Oppenheimer than religious doctrine after Oppenheimer, the head of the now infamous Manhattan Project, spoke the words aloud following the testing of a nuclear bomb that would go on to change the world. His creations were dropped on Japan 78 years ago this month, causing mass destruction and officially ending WWII.

There have been many horrific tales through history, from gruesome medical practices to bizarre punishments and even some very questionable cleaning habits. Today we will be looking at the horrific history of mental health care in Britain through the ages and the history of Britain’s asylums. Though mental health care is still something to be desired in the UK, at least things have progressed since the days of leeches and cold showers!